The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-03-16

can be dOne.-St. LOUIS 6t0Oe-Den0-
crdt.
WHY Mr.. Cleveland should sign one
river and harbor bill and refuse to sign
another is one of those things which
no fellow can find out. This years
bill is no worse than last years. -Phila-
delphia Ne,cs.
If you have trade-dolars prepare to
spend them now, for the time in which
they are redeemable under the recent
act of congress is limited to six months,
after which they go back to their eighty
cent bullion value.
IT is ex-Congressman Spriggs of the
Utica district who says that before the
LIST of July Mr.. Cleveland will have
placed a letter in the hands of the ma
tional democratic committee declining
to be candidate REORGANIZATION.
THE new house stands now 1872 re-
publicans, 1853 democrats, two independ-
ents and two labor, and one vacancy in
Rhode Island-total, 1926 That is, the
democrats have majority of five. OF
the next house 1876 were members of
the last. In the last house the demo-
cratic majority was about forty.
A CONTEMPORARY makes the start
ling discovery that one out of every
eight hundred thirty-seven inhabitants
of the United States is in prison. A
more CHASTITY one is that there is a
saloon to every three hundred forty-fve
inhabitants of this country, and it
seems the two great facts somehow be-
long side by side.
THE Minneapolis Tribune learns that
a gentleman in New York has dis
covered in an old volume the true
meaning of the word mugwump, which
is something of no value" The
Tribune expresses the opinion that the
information is not particularly fresh to
those who are familiar with politics.
The editor of the Tribune is the son of
the editor of the Boston Herald. -Bos-
ton Journal.
EX-ALDERMAN ALGER of the Bur-
lington Independent decides that the
Burlington city election was illegal be-
cause the special notices required to be
posted by law were insufficient. A cor
respondent of the Free Press, evidently
eX-Judge Noyes, gives it as his opinion
that ample notice was given otherwise
in accordance with law to remove all
doubt upon the SUBJECTIVE posting of
the checklists and meetings of the city
council from time to time to correct the
voting list.
CONGRESSMAN BRADY of the fourth
Virginia district, in an interview pub
lished in the Washington Star, says
that Sherman could not carry the state
of Virginia. Blaine, he says, could carry
Virginia against any one the democrats
might put up. There is an enthusiasm
aroused at the mention OF his name
quite unlike that in the case of Sher-
man. The latter could not carry the
state and any one who says he can, in
the opinion of Mr.. Brady, does not
know the southern people.
SLOWLY, but surely, the changes in
office have been going on, until fully
half of the republicans have been turned
out and the service has become de-
partisanized." Sliding halfway down
hill and then stopping is not an easy
task but this is what Mr. Cleveland
must do, if he is to justify the expecta-
tons which his previous record has
raised. Should he fail now to resist
and overcome the gathering momentum
toward a " clean sweep" the friends of
civil service reform will be seriously
disappointed.-Ciril Service Record.
CHIEF-JUsTICE Doe, in the supreme
court at Concord, in the action of Dow
and others against the Northern rail-
road and others, last Friday announced
the decision of a majority of the court
that the lease of the Northern railroad
to the Boston & Lowell was invalid,
being contrary to the charter of the
corporation. An injunction will be is
sued, to take effect July l, 1887 There
seems to be no doubt but that the lease
of the Boston, Concord e. Montreal
railroad TO the Boston e Lowell will
share the same fate as that of the
Northern.
SENATOR SHERMAN says in regard to
Cleveland: 4" He is doubtless losing
ground with the democrats. The mug
wumps still applaud him; but think
the mugwump vote will largely return
to the republican party at the next cam
paign, no matter who may be the NOM
inee. Still l believe the democrats will
renominate Cleveland. Governor Hill
of New York would be strong with the
democrats, but he is weak just where
Cleveland would be strong. Hill would
get largely the Irish vote, but would
lose the business vote. He would get
the vote of the spoilsmen, and in that
sense would be strong where Cleveland
is weak"
ONE effect of the interstate railway
bill promises to be the establishment of
greater harmony of action between
the managers of the various railway
companies of this country than has
hitherto existed. 1t used to be the
commonly received opinion that com
petition was the life of trade in railroad
matters, as well as in other business
! affairs. hut tho affapt if not tho infant